hey guys, i am looking for two new speakers in my boat and two new tower speakers. i am looking to spend no more than 500 dollars. i am looking at the cheaper wetsounds for 159 a pair, or the exile for 180 a pair. what are your suggestions? also can i buy in boat speakers and put them in my existing tower cans, or do i have to buy special tower speakers? open to other suggestions for speakers also.

east tx skier

05-23-2012, 10:36 PM

bump for you. I have Polk DB speakers in the cabin and love them. If you want wetsounds, it may be best to spend the money on those in the tower cans and go a little more reasonable in the cabin.

Rossterman

05-23-2012, 10:41 PM

Echo Texas skiers Reccomendation! I updated my clarions to polkDb651s this week and they rock! Unbelievable how much more bass and no distortion even at levels that will make your ears bleed. These are hands down the best deal around and only $60/ pair to boot.

JRW160

05-23-2012, 10:43 PM

The exiles sound really good. You may be able to get them a little cheaper if you are ordering more than one pair. You really can't go wrong with wetounds either.

Hogwild

05-23-2012, 11:15 PM

I too would like to upgrade my speakers. Are the Polk's TT's consensus favorite for cabin replacements? Also, what amp would you suggest to power these? Lastly, are the slim mounted ones the only way to go for a marine install? Thanks

etduc

05-24-2012, 10:08 AM

I too would like to upgrade my speakers. Are the Polk's TT's consensus favorite for cabin replacements? Also, what amp would you suggest to power these? Lastly, are the slim mounted ones the only way to go for a marine install? Thanks

I wouldn't say, consensus. (Kinda like, blondes or brunettes.)

The DB651s (coaxial) offer probably, biggest bang for the buck. You can get them for under $100.00, quite easily. If you have the room, go standard chassis. Slim mounts make trade-offs, especially with coaxials. This is were a good quality clean amp, would help.

I installed Polk MM651um, picked them up on sale.(Would not call these slim, but not super deep.) These have separate voice coils. i.e.- two speakers in one chassis. Extremely clean response, even with a modest amp. I'm still using my Clarion head unit amp, on mine. Groups like: Yes, EmersonLakePalmer, SteeleyDan,Blues/Jazz, classic rock, accoustical are amazing. Absolutely night-day, difference to oem marine speakers.

What are you going to use, the system for. As you can see, mind are used mainly for chillin' in a cove. I'm not the guy going down the lake, with stereo blasting. I have friends, for that. :cool:

mzimme

05-24-2012, 10:18 AM

Another +1 for the polk DB series. Pricepoint, sound, quality, and aesthetics are all great. Hard speaker to beat when it comes to bang for buck. I used a pair of the 6.5" component's, and a pair of the 5.25" coaxials in my boat.

Granite_33

05-24-2012, 10:22 AM

I went with the Infinity Reference 612M's. Installing them this weekend, so I cannot comment on the sound, however I don't think you can go wrong with Polk or Infinity in the cabin. For the Amp I have a JL 6 channel powering both the cabin and the tower. Kenwood Mono for the sub.

EarmarkMarine

05-24-2012, 01:07 PM

Certainly the Polk Audio dBs are a major player in the sub-$100 a pair coaxial category. But there is another level above that grade of speaker that makes a huge audible difference, especially when you add an external amplifier. Here is what you get with a Wetsounds or JL Audio marine coaxial as compared to most speaker products in the $100 range:
Rather than an interrupted midbass cone from a tweeter supporting pole piece you get a bridge/grill mounted tweeter and a continuous midbass cone. This results in more surface area and much better midbass performance. 50 percent of all musical fundamentals fall between 200 and 600 Hz and this is the sole domain of the midbass driver.
You might find a 'W'-dome tweeter in a less expensive coaxial with a much higher resonance and a more erratic response. A better speaker will transition to a true dome tweeter that has a much larger VC, lower resonance, is better damped and has a profoundly smoother response that impacts vocals, particularly female vocals.
From a stamped steel basket to a polymer basket.
Oftentimes going from a single pole highpass crossover to a two pole crossover. Steeper slope. More tweeter protection. less overlap. Smoother response.
A synthetic spider versus a linen spider. A linen spider will degrade in several seasons in a marine environment.
Your coaxials reproduce 7 of 8.5 octaves that are easily audible in a boat. This is where all the contrast and clarity comes from. These speakers determine the bass tonal construction and the bass pitch accuracy.
It escapes me why many choose this as the area to compromise. To my ears these are the most important audio components in the boat worthy of the largest investment.

David
Earmark Marine

racrowe

05-24-2012, 01:35 PM

Thanks for all the recommendations. I am aware that the Polk DB's are good for the money, but my friend has those in his boat and after one summer of being put in, they have blown already. I am looking for speakers in the tower for surfing mostly

Hogwild

05-24-2012, 03:17 PM

Certainly the Polk Audio dBs are a major player in the sub-$100 a pair coaxial category. But there is another level above that grade of speaker that makes a huge audible difference, especially when you add an external amplifier. Here is what you get with a Wetsounds or JL Audio marine coaxial as compared to most speaker products in the $100 range:
Rather than an interrupted midbass cone from a tweeter supporting pole piece you get a bridge/grill mounted tweeter and a continuous midbass cone. This results in more surface area and much better midbass performance. 50 percent of all musical fundamentals fall between 200 and 600 Hz and this is the sole domain of the midbass driver.
You might find a 'W'-dome tweeter in a less expensive coaxial with a much higher resonance and a more erratic response. A better speaker will transition to a true dome tweeter that has a much larger VC, lower resonance, is better damped and has a profoundly smoother response that impacts vocals, particularly female vocals.
From a stamped steel basket to a polymer basket.
Oftentimes going from a single pole highpass crossover to a two pole crossover. Steeper slope. More tweeter protection. less overlap. Smoother response.
A synthetic spider versus a linen spider. A linen spider will degrade in several seasons in a marine environment.
Your coaxials reproduce 7 of 8.5 octaves that are easily audible in a boat. This is where all the contrast and clarity comes from. These speakers determine the bass tonal construction and the bass pitch accuracy.
It escapes me why many choose this as the area to compromise. To my ears these are the most important audio components in the boat worthy of the largest investment.

David
Earmark Marine

So what do you like for cabin speakers Dave? I'm going to be mainly listening to music in a cove like a previous poster does and don't need anything the other side of the lake can hear. However, I do like a crisp, clear sound. My music tastes vary to just about everything but classical.

EarmarkMarine

05-24-2012, 05:24 PM

Hogwild,
I like both the JL Audio and Wetsounds coaxials. Both have the best midbass by far.
The JL Audio has a coated silk soft dome tweeter that is very detailed while very smooth. And, a linear response is essential for a good image. Personally, I am a fan of the Euro style tweeters from Vifa, Seas, Audax, etc. and JL Audio absolutely subscribes to this sound. Many like the Wetsounds titanium hard dome tweeter because it is a bit more aggressive and that little extra emphasis makes everything sound a little more distinctive. And, I like the Wetsounds XS-650 too because it is not over-bearing in this respect. But, there are many others coaxials that are soooo bright that they ruin the musical balance and make vocals strident. In fact, I have to wonder if the designers of many coaxials have suffered severe hearing damage because they make their speakers so bright. Or, maybe they just want to stand out as the brightest speakers in the soundboard. While it may get your attention out of gate this type of speaker quickly fatiques me.
That is what I hear. I listen with a more analytical ear than most. Sound is subjective according to the health of your hearing, what you are accustom to and your past influences. Not everyone is going to agree with what sounds best.

David
Earmark Marine

racrowe

05-25-2012, 10:00 AM

Also, why to the companies mean when they say the speakers are a component style coaxial speaker?

mzimme

05-25-2012, 10:12 AM

Component separates the tweeter from the midbass driver whereas a coaxial will have the tweeter in the middle of the midbass driver (generally).

I'm replacing the speakers in my 02 xstar and I'm leaning toward the Polk DB's. Is there an appreciable performance difference between the 651 coaxials in the $60 range and the 6501 components in the $120 range. I am generally content with factory car audio so the expense of high performance is normally a waste on me.

Can I get some thoughts on my needs?

I'll be replacing the tower speakers also. I'll probably go with the same speakers in the cabin and the tower. unless there is a compelling reason to go with something else in the same price range. Wetsounds and the like would be under utilized in my boat.

AZX9

06-28-2012, 12:06 AM

The 6501's are about twice the power handling capacity and will be a better speaker setup. You're probably in the same boat as me and have eight 6.5 separates and don't want a hole left or want to leave the old clarion tweeter in. The 6501 would sound better at the same sound level as the 650 also. Another key to consider is your amp output.

ddummitt

07-05-2012, 09:54 AM

I have the original clarion 4 channel amp in the boat and I also have a Clarion XN3410 4 channel and a Clarion XN3210 that I purchased when I thought the original was shot.

With these amps available for use and the intention to replace the speakers with either 651's or 6501's how should I set this system up? and do the amps available change the speaker recommendation?

MLA

07-05-2012, 08:42 PM

I have the original clarion 4 channel amp in the boat and I also have a Clarion XN3410 4 channel and a Clarion XN3210 that I purchased when I thought the original was shot.

With these amps available for use and the intention to replace the speakers with either 651's or 6501's how should I set this system up? and do the amps available change the speaker recommendation?

Not sure what older Clarion you have, but out of the other two, I would go with the XN3410 4 chnl. It will deliver 90W rms per chnl with a single speaker per chnl and around 82W per speaker if you have a pair wired in parallel to each chnl. This 4 chnl will be ideal for powering 4-6 in-boats. It will do fine for either the 650's or 6501's.

AZX9,

If you do not want to go with components or leave the old Clarion tweeters as dummies, swap them out with LED courtesy light assemblies.

ddummitt

10-05-2012, 09:32 AM

Sorry its been a while since I was here.

I ordered 6 Polk 651 coaxials to replace my existing speakers (4 cabin and 2 tower).
I have the existing amp (Calrion APX480M) which powers all six speakers and the original sub.
As previously mentioned, I have an XN3410 and an XN3210.

So, should I go with the XN3410 for the cabin and tower (as MLA mentioned) and the xn 3210 for the sub? Does this configuration provide proper balance?

We do not like the volume in the Cabin real loud but it would be nice to hear the stereo at the end of the rope. Is there a way to achieve this mix?... and of course without sinking a lot of money.

Traxx822

10-06-2012, 10:44 AM

Hogwild,
I like both the JL Audio and Wetsounds coaxials. Both have the best midbass by far.
The JL Audio has a coated silk soft dome tweeter that is very detailed while very smooth. And, a linear response is essential for a good image. Personally, I am a fan of the Euro style tweeters from Vifa, Seas, Audax, etc. and JL Audio absolutely subscribes to this sound. Many like the Wetsounds titanium hard dome tweeter because it is a bit more aggressive and that little extra emphasis makes everything sound a little more distinctive. And, I like the Wetsounds XS-650 too because it is not over-bearing in this respect. But, there are many others coaxials that are soooo bright that they ruin the musical balance and make vocals strident. In fact, I have to wonder if the designers of many coaxials have suffered severe hearing damage because they make their speakers so bright. Or, maybe they just want to stand out as the brightest speakers in the soundboard. While it may get your attention out of gate this type of speaker quickly fatiques me.
That is what I hear. I listen with a more analytical ear than most. Sound is subjective according to the health of your hearing, what you are accustom to and your past influences. Not everyone is going to agree with what sounds best.

David
Earmark Marine

Have to agree. I have the JL m class 7.7 coax in front and component in the rear. The pop is amazing. They look like mini 8" sub woofers. Best part is your voice carries through and people can hear you even at loud volumes. But these are comparing $450/pair speakers to $100/pair speakers with those polks everyone is talking about.

MLA

10-07-2012, 11:24 AM

Sorry its been a while since I was here.

I ordered 6 Polk 651 coaxials to replace my existing speakers (4 cabin and 2 tower).
I have the existing amp (Calrion APX480M) which powers all six speakers and the original sub.
As previously mentioned, I have an XN3410 and an XN3210.

So, should I go with the XN3410 for the cabin and tower (as MLA mentioned) and the xn 3210 for the sub? Does this configuration provide proper balance?

We do not like the volume in the Cabin real loud but it would be nice to hear the stereo at the end of the rope. Is there a way to achieve this mix?... and of course without sinking a lot of money.

I would use the Xn3210 for the single pair of Polks on the tower. 90W rms to each at 4 ohm with room to add a 2nd pair later if you wanted.

For the 4 in-boat, the XN3410 would allow you to run the port bow and main-cabin wired in parallel on chnl 1 and the stbd bow and main-cabin wired in parallel on chnl 2 for 82W rms to each speaker and they would still be playing stereo. This would leave chnls 3/4 to deliver 330 w rms to a moderate 10" or 12" 4 ohm sub.

Dixie

10-26-2012, 04:33 PM

Wet Sounds speakers

Don't know if you are still looking but I sold my boat and pulled out my expensive Wetsounds and put back in the original system. I have a pair of white SW-650 with the white grill. All are Saltwater series but never anywhere close to salt water or even rain for that matter.

They cost me over $300 out the door just this past June will sell $195 for the pair

Also have the the white Wet Sounds SW-10FA with white grill $175

Prices plus just actual shipping from Peoria IL

Will post some actual pictures soon for now just the Internet pics.

http://www.wetsounds.com/pages/products/SW-650.html

http://www.wetsounds.com/pages/products/SW-10FA.html

musicmd

10-27-2012, 09:28 AM

Wet Sounds speakers

Don't know if you are still looking but I sold my boat and pulled out my expensive Wetsounds and put back in the original system. I have a pair of white SW-650 with the white grill. All are Saltwater series but never anywhere close to salt water or even rain for that matter.

They cost me over $300 out the door just this past June will sell $195 for the pair

Also have the the white Wet Sounds SW-10FA with white grill $175

Prices plus just actual shipping from Peoria IL

Will post some actual pictures soon for now just the Internet pics.

http://www.wetsounds.com/pages/products/SW-650.html

http://www.wetsounds.com/pages/products/SW-10FA.html

As a follow-up question to the ongoing discussion, Dixie - - - did you notice a big difference in sound between the Wetsounds speakers and the standard equipment?

I'm not in the market, actually - - - I'm just an audiophile and am curious.

Dixie

10-27-2012, 05:11 PM

Had a decent set marine looking Sony speakers. The Wet Sounds blew them out of the water. I put one in the bow across from the Sony. Not even close just like the Pro 8's were a light year ahead of the super expensive Polk 3 way system in Skylon cans. I have yet to hear anything better than Wet Sounds on any boat. The 650's are heavy puppies!

Greenster

10-29-2012, 10:52 PM

Great Thread for me as I am wanting to upgrade my tired old Maristar's speakers. My problem is that I want to keep all of the speakers matching on my boat.

The front speakers are 6.5" with surounding trims that will only fit about 6.75" max grills, or if removed must cover 8" cut outs from the trim pieces.

Also the rear speakers in the boat are 6X9's.
I am thinking about going with the Polk MM651's and MM691's. I would love JL's but No 6X9 options are available. This is also true for the WetSounds.

Any thoughts, suggestions or input?

LaRue

10-30-2012, 12:30 AM

I put in (4) Polk Audio DB 651's in our Maristar with a JBL amp. Huge improvement over stock for very little cost. I was pleasantly surprised as was our teenage son.

Edit....just reread your post and saw your rears were 6 x 9. If you want to have them all the same my above input is of no value.

Traxx822

10-30-2012, 08:24 AM

Great Thread for me as I am wanting to upgrade my tired old Maristar's speakers. My problem is that I want to keep all of the speakers matching on my boat.

The front speakers are 6.5" with surounding trims that will only fit about 6.75" max grills, or if removed must cover 8" cut outs from the trim pieces.

Also the rear speakers in the boat are 6X9's.
I am thinking about going with the Polk MM651's and MM691's. I would love JL's but No 6X9 options are available. This is also true for the WetSounds.

Any thoughts, suggestions or input?

Try memphis Marine. Very very good quality. And they make a 6x9. Part number: 15-MM692

Not too popular but great great sounding speakers. You can find these at most audio shops right next to the JL's. I almost bought them but decided on an all JL system. There amps and subs are good too. Their tower speakers are amazing horns and very loud

Traxx822

10-30-2012, 08:27 AM

They have some discontinued 6x9's too that may be cheaper. Part number 15-MA92

_fng_

10-30-2012, 12:05 PM

Try memphis Marine. Very very good quality. And they make a 6x9. Part number: 15-MM692

Not too popular but great great sounding speakers. You can find these at most audio shops right next to the JL's. I almost bought them but decided on an all JL system. There amps and subs are good too. Their tower speakers are amazing horns and very loud

I've got memphis 6.5" (15-mm62) and think they're crap! The cone cracked rather quickly (within 6 months) and distorted the sound. The warranty was weird too that I couldn't get them covered. Sound isn't too bad but overall very unimpressed.

neil.anderson63

10-30-2012, 12:21 PM

We have Polk MM651UM series in the cabin and a pair of wetsounds REV10's on the tower; the amp is MC factory Clarion.. We LOVE the clarity. I'm with etduc - The upgraded speakers are night and day. The boat came with the wetsounds hanging on the tower, we put in the Polk. My only gripe is that the wetsounds are about the size of basketballs... Such a thing as too big??? Blondes or Brunettes?? Who cares? As long as she can back a trailer, pull me in a straight and not "mulch" me IF she comes back to pick me up.

east tx skier

10-30-2012, 12:33 PM

I'm replacing the speakers in my 02 xstar and I'm leaning toward the Polk DB's. Is there an appreciable performance difference between the 651 coaxials in the $60 range and the 6501 components in the $120 range. I am generally content with factory car audio so the expense of high performance is normally a waste on me.

Can I get some thoughts on my needs?

I'll be replacing the tower speakers also. I'll probably go with the same speakers in the cabin and the tower. unless there is a compelling reason to go with something else in the same price range. Wetsounds and the like would be under utilized in my boat.

I have the 651s in the front and the 6501s in the rear (previous owner already made cutouts for components in the rear). As far as my ears are concerned, the 6501s sound quite a bit better. But if I didn't already have the cutouts for them, I'd probably put some coaxials in there and be done with it.

Greenster

10-30-2012, 04:27 PM

I have the 651s in the front and the 6501s in the rear (previous owner already made cutouts for components in the rear). As far as my ears are concerned, the 6501s sound quite a bit better. But if I didn't already have the cutouts for them, I'd probably put some coaxials in there and be done with it.

I love the look of the MM651's but If the 6501's sound better and are cheaper than that looks like the way to go. A previous post mentioned that the 6501's only lasted one season. Kind of a concern for me but who knows how loud or what they went through.

frankster66

10-30-2012, 06:10 PM

What radio are you guys using to push the Polk DB651.

LaRue

10-30-2012, 09:56 PM

I would have to check model number later this week but ours is a marine grade Clarion CD/radio/mp3. Nothing fancy.